Lubricator.



T. J. HOLMES.

LUBRICATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1911.

1,230,299.- Patented June 19, 1917.

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THOMAS J'. HOLMES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

LUBRICATOR.

Application filed. January 15, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

slmple means for economically supplying alubricant to a bearing surface with a single charging for a long continuity of use, without waste of the lubricant, and without consumption thereof except when the parts to be lubricated arein operation; further, to provide lubricating means having the advantages set forth and which will indicate at all times the'amount of lubricant con tained therein; further to provide a lubrieating device having. such advantages and especially adapted to car journal use, whereby the employment of'cotton waste and the like and the practice of frequent oilings may be avoided, and whereby a safe and clean condition of the journal and journal box are.

maintained; further, to provide a unitary lubricating device which may readily be inserted bodily into and removed from the journal box in a short space of time,.as for charging, substitution or repair, whereby substantial delays to traffic may be avoided. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, I have illustrated a specific application of these improvements to a railway car journal and associated parts and also in a construction adapted for ordinary journal bearings, or, as shown, on a pulley running loosely on a shaft. Each form of the device illustrated is a preferred construction for the particular use indicated or shown.

In these drawings Figure 1 is a fragmentary view of a car journal box, journal, etc., with these improvements associated therewith, the view being in the direction of the arrows on the broken line 11 of Fig. 2,

a portion of the lubricator block being shown in full;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the parts of Fig. 1, as on the line 22 thereof Viewed in drawn beneath the collar 10 ofthe jourthe direction of the arrows; V

Fig; 3 is a fragmentary View of the parts of Figs. 1 and 2 as viewed from the top Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 19, 1917.

Serial No. 142,411.

thereof, the ournal and ournal block being partly broken away; and

Fig. 4% is a medial sectional view of a lubricator unit in a form well adapted for use in many mechanical situations.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the journal 10 and ournal block 11 are shown as of the usual form. The constructionof the journal box is not carried much above the journal block 11 as such parts are well known in ordinary practice. The journal box 12 is modified somewhat from the usual construction in that it provides greater space below the journal, and the bottom Wall thereof is preferably substantially horizontal from front to rear so that the unitary lubricating device may readily be inserted therein and withdrawn therefrom. A door 13 (to be understood as being hinged at the top) covers the front end of the journal box 12.

I will denominate the block 15 as a friction piece to distinguish it from the bearing proper. It is preferably of hard Wood and is preferably soaked in oil prior to the assembling of the device. It may be, however, of any suitable material. It has a portion thereof, as at 16-16, in conformity with the curvature of the journal 10. The upper surface 17 of this friction piece or friction block is preferably inclined downward toward the journal 10 whereby any lubricant collecting thereon will tend to work into contact with the journal. Preferably four coiled springs 18 held on posts 19 maintain the friction piece 15 with its surface at 1616 against the journal, there being a tight fit between this friction piece and the journal, especially after a limited amount of use. Each post 19 is preferably provided with a head 20 at the free end adapted to bear against the bottom of the journal box and to maintain the spring 18 thereon. A washer 21 is employed between the spring 18 and the block 15, one end of the post 19 being loosely positioned in the recess 22 in the friction piece 15, and a pin 23 passing through the slot 24:

I in the post 19 maintains the post against renal 10. In the construction for car ournal application the friction piece preferably extends substantially from end to end of the journal 10, and is provided with a plurality of recesses which may be variously directed toward the shaft but which are preferably substantially radial with the shaft axis as shown and which open into a chamberadapted to contain a piston. Associated with each of these recesses a tubularlubricant holder 26 is secured as by threading the same directly into the block 15 as at 27. lVithin the hollow interior of the'element 26 is a piston head 28 carried by the stem 29 having the head 30. A coiled spring 31 is preferably positioned between the piston head 28 and the head portion 26 of the lubricant holder 26, this head portion being formed so that the part 26 may be turned by a wrench for screwing and unscrewing the same into the block 15.

Means for maintaining the piston head 28 in retracted position, practically necessary when the lubricating device is being charged and while the same is being inserted into and withdrawn from operative position, are

shown as comprising two flat pieces 32 and 33 hinged together as at 34, the part 32 being hinged to the block 15 as at 35. This holding device preferably extends longitudinally so as to engage simultaneously all of the stem heads and thus maintain all of the piston heads 28 in retracted position when so desired. The construction is also such that should the trainman neglect to release the pistons after charging and inserting the device, the jarring of the car in service will release them by causing the two parts 32 and I 33 to bulge at the hinge 34', these two parts thereupon hanging downward from the hinges 35. A spring catch 36 is adapted to maintain the holder parts 32 and 33 releasably in an out-of-the-way position as shown by dotted lines'in Fig. 2.

In order that lubricant may issue from the openings 25 so as to cover space on the friction piece 16 substantially between adjacent openings or contiguous to any of such openings shallow open ducts as 39, 40, 41, or any other approved arrangement may be employed.

In practice it is only necessary for the trainman to open the lid or cover 13 to determine the amount of lubricant in the several units according to the exposed part of each stem 29. If recharging is required, the trainman withdraws the entire device, charges the individual units as required and replaces the device in the box. As a single charging will last throughout a very considerable mileage,'much time is saved in the use of such a lubricator, and a great deal of oil wastage avoided. The omission of the use of cotton waste or the like not only saves much expense, but also avoids the ob ectlon of combustion of the waste and oil, as well as injury by the not infrequent drawing of the cotton waste between the journal and journal block. Further advantages reside in the avoidance of the dripping of oil from the journal box and the use of a mass of satu rated waste therein suitable for catching and holding particles of sand, cinders, etc., likely to get between the bearing surfaces.

Referring to Fig. 4, the loose pulley, j ournal box cap or the like is bored with a preferably radial hole 46 and screw tappedat its outer portion to accommodate the apertured collar 47. A tubular lubricant holder 48 loosely fits in the opening of the collar 47 and has its inner end preferably enlarged as at 49 to act as a stop for the coiled spring 50, the spring being under compression and maintaining the friction piece 49 in engagement with the shaft 51. l/Vithin the lubricant holder 48 is a piston head 52 on the stem 53, and the coiled spring 54, under compression, is between the piston head 52 and the cap 55 threaded upon the outer end of the tube 48. A pin 56 passing through the stem 53 is adapted to hold the piston head 52 in retracting position when so desired. The stem 53 is to be understood as extending sufficiently beyond the cap 55 to remain in association therewith when the piston head 52 is substantially against the shaft 51. In this form of device the lubricant is inserted by removing the cap 55 and the piston parts.

The lubricant ordinarily employed in these devices ispreferably in the form of a candle, that is, lubricating elements compressed into a cylindrical form. Such candles are well known in connection with heretofore known lubricating devices which comprise a tubular element with a piston and a spring therein. According to these improvements, however, the lubricant may well be any suitable grease, or even oil, where the piston head fits more tightly in its cylinder than is necessary where the candle is used. In the figures the lubricant is indicated at 56, and may be considered in the form of candles. V

lVhile I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of two forms of pended claims.

I claim:

1. In a lubricating device for a bearing, the combination of a friction piece having a, friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of the bearing to be lubricated, means adapted yieldingly to force said friction piece normally toward said bearing whereby the friction surface thereon is maintained against the bearing surface of the bearing when the device is normally in use, said friction piece having a recess for holding a lubricant whereby such lubricant may contact the bearingwithin the area of the friction surface of said friction piece, said recess opening into a chamber in said friction piece adapted to contain a piston, and a spring pressed piston in said chamber adapted to force the lubricant against the bearing sur face to be lubricated when the device is normally in use.

2; In a lubricating device for a bearing, the'combination of a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of the bearing to be lubricated, means adapted yieldingly to force said friction piece normally toward said bearing whereby the friction surface thereon is maintained against the bearing surface of the bearing when the device is normally in use, said friction piece having means for holding a lubricant whereby the lubricant may contact the bearing within the area of the friction surface of said friction piece, pressure means for forcing the lubricant against the bearing surface to be lubricated when the device is normally in use, and means for controlling said pressure means whereby the same are inoperative when so desired. 7

3, In combination with a journal bearing or the like, a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of said bearing, means for yieldingly maintaining said friction surface against the bearing surface of said bearing, said friction piece having a recess adapted to contain a lubricant, said recess having an opening substantially surrounded by portions of said friction surface, and pressure means for forcing a lubricant in said recess through said recess opening.

4. In combination with a journal bearing or the like, a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of said bearing, means for yieldingly maintaining said friction sur face against the bearing surface of said bearing, said friction piece having a recess adapted to contain a lubricant, said recess having an opening substantially surrounded by portions of said friction surface, and spring means for forcing a lubricant in said recess through said recess opening.

5. In combination with a journal bearing or the like, a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of said bearing, means for yieldingly maintaining said friction piece with its friction surface against the bearing surface of said bearing, said friction piece having a recess adapted to'contain a lubricant, said recess having an opening substantially surrounded by portions of said friction surface, spring means for forcing a lubricant in said recess through said recess opening, and means for holding said spring means in retracted position, as for charging the device with lubricant.

6. In combination with a journal bearing or the like, a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of said bearing, means for yieldingly maintaining said friction piece with its friction surface against the bearing surface of said bearing, said friction piece having a recess adapted to contain a lubricant, said recess having an opening into the'friction surface of said friction piece, a piston head in said recess, and spring means for forcing said piston head toward said journal bearing, the arrangement being such that a lubricant between said pist0n head and said journal will be forced by said spring means against the journal and said friction piece will act as an obstruction to the spreading of the lubricant materially where said friction piece contacts the journal.

7. In combination, a car journal box, a journal and a journal block cooperatively arranged in said box, a lubricator block in said box having a friction surface substantially conforming to the curvature of said journal, means for yieldingly pressing said lubricator block with the friction surface thereof against said journal, said lubricator block having a recess for a lubricant, said recess opening into the friction surface of said lubricator block, a piston operatively in said recess, and spring means associated with said piston for pressing the lubricant between the journal and the piston against said journal.

8. In combination, a car journal box, a journal and a journal block cooperatively arranged in said box, a lubricator block in said box having a friction surface substantially conforming to the curvature of said journal, means for yieldingly pressing said lubricator block with the friction surface thereof against said journal, said lubricator block having a recess for a lubricant, said recess opening into the friction surface of said lubricator block, spring means associated with said recess for. pressing the lu bricant therein against said journal, and means for releasably holding said spring means in retracted position.

9. In combination, a car journal box, a journal and a journal block cooperatively arranged in said box, a lubricator block in said box having a friction surface substantially conforming to the curvature of said journal, means for yieldingly pressing said lubricator block with the friction surface thereof against said journal, said lubricator recess opening into the friction surface of said lubricator block, spring means associated with said recess for pressing the lubricant therein against said journal, and means for releasably holding said spring means in retracted position, said last mentioned means being such that the jarring of the car when the same is running Will operate said holding means to release said spring means.

10. In combination, a car journal boX, a journal and a journal block cooperatively arranged in said box, a lubricator block in said box having a friction surface substantially conforming to the curvature of said journal, means for yieldingly pressing said lubricator block With the friction surface thereof against said journal, said lubricator block being substantially the length of said journal and having a plurality of recesses therein each adapted to contain a lubricant, said recesses opening into the friction surface of said lubricator block, and means including a spring associated With each of said recesses for. pressing the lubricant therein against said journal.

11.111 combination With a journal bearing or the like, a friction piece of Wood having a friction surface thereon substantially conforming to the bearing surface of said bearing, means for yieldingly maintaining lubricant between said piston head and said 1 journal Will be forced by said spring means against said journal.

12. In a lubricating device for a bearing, the combination of a friction piece having a friction surface thereon substantially .conforming to the bearing surface of the bearing to be lubricated, means adapted yieldingly to force said friction piece normally toward said bearing whereby the friction surface thereon is maintained against the bearing surface of the bearing When the device is normally in use, said friction piece having a plurality of chambers each adapted to contain a piston, there being a passage Way from each of said chambers opening into the friction surface of said friction piece, and a spring pressed piston in each of said chambers, said chambers and passage Ways being adapted to contain a lubricant.

THOMAS J. HOLMES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

7 Washington, D. G. 

